Ann Michelle Swadener

Ann Michelle Swadener

I have taken a circuitous path toward art. I started out I pre-med in college. I took every prerequisite for med school but finally realized how inauthentic that was for me. I ended up graduating with a BA in Psychology. I got married and worked for a few years in various jobs related to Psychology, but nothing ever fulfilled me and I was always finding creative outlets on the side. Then my husband, Bill, a US Naval officer at the time got a chance to do an exchange tour with the Dutch Navy. We learned Dutch and lived in the Netherlands for a year and a half. Our first child, Mary, was born there. It was in Europe, going to all the wonderful museums that I felt the strongest pull to art. I painted a little in the Netherlands but it wasn't until I returned to the US and took drawing classes at a local community college that I started to feel more satisfied with my efforts. I also took watercolor classes, workshops, got books and videos from the library, joined a watercolor society, anything I could do to improve my craft. I was always drawn to watercolor for it’s translucence, it’s gentle, honest color.

I am now a mother of two. I do all the boring, necessary “peat and repeat” of life; i.e. laundry, cooking, cleaning---the stuff that never stays DONE! But I am also raising 2 amazing kids with strong morals, intelligence, musical talents and of course art! Mary works with various mediums—watercolor, acrylic and oil to name a few. She even has a page on this site. Sam leans toward cartooning and Manga. Being a mother is the most important, meaningful thing I have ever done with my life. But without art, part of me would languish.

I am so lucky to have found art to help fill in the missing pieces in my life. I do local bazaars where I show and sell my work. I have now found Fine Art America too which is a great way to show my images to a wider audience. Besides art, I am passionate about our environment and taking care of our Mother-- the Earth. I think this shines through a lot of my art work. I hope to find ways to make a difference in the world and encourage others to do so as well.